MGG / Video Games Articles and stories / League of Legends (LoL) /

League of Legends: Crown retires from professional play

League of Legends: Crown retires from professional play
0

Lee "Crown" Min-ho has retired from playing League of Legends professionally after six years spent competing at a high level in Brazil, South Korea and North America.

League of Legends: Crown retires from professional play

Image credit: LoL Esports

Lee "Crown" Min-ho, the 2017 League of Legends World Champion mid laner, has retired from playing League of Legends professionally after six years spent competing at a high level in Brazil, South Korea and North America. The player reminisced on his time as a pro gamer in Starcraft: Brood War and League of Legends on an Instagram post.

Crown blazed a trail for Korean players looking to develop their skills as he was among the first in his region to play in a then-Wildcard region, his first professional squad being Brazil's Team 58ers in 2014. Despite failing to win the CBLoL's second split in 2014, he caught the eyes of Samsung Galaxy's scouting staff.

The mid laner's tenure within Samsung Galaxy (later KSV and Generation Gaming) lasted three years. In the 2015 summer split, the squad avoided relegation off the play of its solo laners, Crown and top laner Lee "CuVee" Seong-jin. The duo received reinforcements in the offseason as jungler Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong, AD carry Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk, and AD-turned-support Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in joined.

Alongside them, Crown reached the World Championship finals in 2016, where they lost to Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok's SK Telecom T1 3-2. The team would have its revenge in 2017 as they lifted the Worlds trophy after sweeping Faker's squad 3-0. However, the team stumbled in 2018 and ranked last in its Worlds group, sparking a rebuilding effort within Gen.G.

From then onward, the mid laner, famed for his Viktor and Malzahar play, moved to North America where he played for OpTic Gaming in 2019 and Counter Logic Gaming in the 2020 League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) spring split.

Crown is one of the most notable Korean players to start their careers in a Wildcard region or to reach significant career milestones there. In 2020, top laner Kim "Topoon" Ji-hoon, jungler Kim "River" Dong-woo, mid laner Park "Tank" Dan-won and AD carry Lee "Archer" Keun-hee are the latest Korean players to earn notice from regions outside of the big four — LEC, LCS, LPL and LCK.

0
Adel Chouadria
Adel Chouadria

Freelance esports writer in Europe with eight years of LEC coverage experience. Also a 90's NY Knicks fan, sneakerhead, and wrestling fan. Cake is #1.

More Stories

08:10 LoL: This champion has been dominating soloQ for months and it's not about to stop!
08:06 MOBA's Most Hated Champion Is Also Infuriating TFT Players
10:07 LoL: When does season 13 start?
10:01 K'Santé, the first problem that Riot Games will have to solve in 2023
09:53 What is the best-designed champion? The community has the answer!
09:50 Azir support, the new pick that is all the rage in China
09:50 LoL: Which champions received the most skins in 2022?
10:53 LoL: Would the solution to improve the meta be to remove the nerves on the anti-heal?
10:52 LoL: The patch schedule for season 13
10:53 LoL: The pentakill of the champion who is least likely to do so

Recommended

The best champions for Patch 11.16
League of Legends 2021 World Championship Finals venue and date announced
LoL: 7 questions about Akshan answered by the developers

Discover guides

LoL Guide, Build: Glacial Augment and Electrocute Ahri, Mid, S10
How to Sona Support in S10
League of Legends Transfer Window — From LCK to LPL, Khan joins FPX